Facing The Shadow
When many are asked what they truly want, the most common answer is, "I just want to be happy." In the book, The Art of Happiness, The Dalai Lama states, "I believe that the very purpose of our life is to seek happiness, that is clear. Whether one believes in religion or not, whether one believes in this religion or that religion, we are seeking something better in life. So, I think, the very motion of our life is towards happiness."
We beat ourselves up when we are sad, and we're hard on ourselves when our dreams don't pan out the way we envision them to be. We tend to battle with the blues, hide behind our shadows, and become comfortable in protecting our vulnerability. Our shadow self keeps us buried way beyond our wildest dreams as we try to walk into the light toward our authentic selves.
Shadow Work Journaling Prompts
Deep inner healing is crucial for living an authentic life. Journal prompts are a great way to improve self-awareness and work through past trauma and emotions. Whether you write in a journal or a private blog, writing about our deepest thoughts and feelings is what brings our true selves to the surface.
Here are some questions I've asked myself and revisit quite often:
- Do you find yourself putting up an image of who you are just to be accepted?
- How do you handle criticism?
- Where are you most insecure? Life? Dreams? Relationships? etc.
- Do you feel like you are living a lie?
- What is your shadow trying to say?
- When you look in the mirror what do you see?
- What is it about yourself you tend to hide?
Journaling is the most powerful tool that can set you free. I keep a shadow work journal that I call the quiet mind. For the first time in my life, I have opened my veins and poured my blood onto paper: it is the most heart-wrenching work I have ever done.
When I work with these questions, I find myself pacing the floor. The trauma, rejection, hurt and disappointment that lies within our soul is what kills our spirit. Avoiding the true essence of who we are and only feeding the persona of what we bring to the surface is only starving the shadow self. It's time to feed your shadow and bring your beautiful self into the spotlight.